OnVideo's Weekly
Guide to Home Video Releases

Halloween

Forty years after the events of 1978’s "Halloween," Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) now lives in a heavily guarded home on the edge of Haddonfield, where she’s spent decades preparing for Michael’s potential return. After being locked up in an institution, Myers manages to escape when a bus transfer goes terribly wrong, leading to chaos in the same town he preyed on decades earlier. Laurie now faces a terrifying showdown when the deranged killer returns for her and her family -- but this time, she’s ready for him.
Vitals: Director: David Gordon Green. Stars: Jamie Lee Curtis, Judy Greer, Andi Matichak, Will Patton, Virginia Gardner.
2018, CC, MPAA rating: R, 105 min., Horror Thriller, Box office gross: 159.211 million, Universal.Extras: Deleted/extended scenes, "Back in Haddonfield: Making Halloween," "The Original Scream Queen," "The Sound of Fear," "Journey of the Mask," "The Legacy of Halloween."

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The Old man and the Gun

Based on the true story of Forrest Tucker (Robert Redford), from his audacious escape from San Quentin at the age of 70 to an unprecedented string of heists that confounded authorities and enchanted the public. Wrapped up in the pursuit are detective John Hunt (Casey Affleck), who becomes captivated with Forrest's commitment to his craft, and a woman (Sissy Spacek), who loves him in spite of his chosen profession.
Vitals: Director: David Lowery. Stars: Robert Redford, Casey Affleck, Sissy Spacek, Danny Glover, Tom Waits, Tika Sumpte, Keith Carradine, Elisabeth Moss.
2018, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 93 min., Crime Comedy, Box office gross: $11.050 million, Fox.Extras: "Everything Else We Shot," "Prison Cats"," On Filmmaking," "31 Wake-Ups," "Joining the Hunt," audio commentary by writer/director David Lowery, gallery.

Goosebumps 2

Slappy the devious ventriloquist dummy returns to run amuck, in this second installment of the family-friendly franchise based on R.L. Stine’s beloved book series. Be careful what you wish for. With their after school junk business, best friends Sonny and Sam hope to find treasure in other people’s trash. But when cleaning out the old Stine house, they open a locked book that frees a supernatural nightmare -- Slappy! Now, with the help of Sonny’s sister Sarah, they’re in a race against time to get the sinister dummy and all the creatures he’s brought to life back into the pages before he unleashes total pandemonium.
Vitals: Director: Ari Sandel. Stars: Wendi McLendon-Covey, Madison Iseman, Jeremy Ray Taylor, Caleel Harris, Chris Parnell, Ken Jeong.
2018, CC, MPAA rating: PG, 120 min., Adventure, Box office gross: $46.682 million, Sony.Extras: Gag reel; three deleted scenes; five featurettes: “Thrills & Chills – The Making of Goosebumps 2," “Meet the Monsters,” “Science With Slappy,” “Junk Brothers – Call Now” and “Slappy's Audition”; three Slappy-Oke sing alongs.

This Week's Digital Releases

January 14:

My Brilliant Friend: Adapted from the first book in Elena Ferrante's acclaimed "Neapolitan Novels," this drama series follows Elena Greco, a now-elderly woman who discovers the most important friend in her life has disappeared. (Digital only)

January 15:

Blood Bound: Bound to an ancient pact, a family of unlimited power descends upon a small rural town to sacrifice four human lives -- one being a member of their own family. (VOD only)

Boy Erased: The son of a Baptist preacher is forced to participate in a church-supported gay conversion program after being forcibly outed to his parents. (DVD, Blu-ray release: January 29)

Hunter Killer: An untested American submarine captain teams with U.S. Navy SEALs to rescue the Russian president, who has been kidnapped by a rogue general. (DVD, Blu-ray release: January 29)

Jonathan: In this sci-fi-tinged drama, Ansel Elgort plays two brothers living very separate lives – inside the same body. Previously content to live life in shifts with one another, their delicate balance is ruined when they become emotionally involved with the same woman (Suki Waterhouse). (DVD, Blu-ray release: Day & date)

Once Upon a Deadpool: A PG-13 fairytale twist on Deadpool 2 the whole family can enjoy. (Blu-ray release: Day & date)

Reign of the Supermen: The world must cope with the loss of Superman -- and the sudden emergence of four would-be heirs to the title in the second half of a two-part animated DC Universe Movies experience that began in August 2018 with "The Death of Superman." (Blu-ray release: January 29)

Speed Kills: Speedboat racing champion and multimillionaire Ben Aronoff (John Travolta) leads a double life that lands him in trouble with the law and drug lords. (DVD, Blu-ray release: Day & date)

A Star Is Born: Third remake of the classic film. A successful musician (Bradley Cooper) helps a young singer (Lady Gaga) find fame, even as age and alcoholism send his own career into a downward spiral. (DVD, Blu-ray release: February 19)

Suspiria: The reimagining of the 1977 horror cult-classic about the horrific darkness that swirls at the center of a world-renowned dance company. (DVD, Blu-ray release: January 29)

January 18:

Close: Action-thriller inspired by the life of the world’s leading female bodyguard, Jacquie Davis. The film stars Noomi Rapace as Sam, a counter-terrorist expert used to war zones, who takes on the job of protecting Zoe (Sophie Nélisse), a young and rich heiress — a babysitting job for her. But a violent attempted kidnapping forces the two to go on the run. (Netflix only)

The Last Man: In this chilling dystopian thriller, Hayden Christensen plays Kurt, a vet suffering from PTSD who comes home to an unholy, unruly land. The world is bad, no question -- but local street prophet Noe (Harvey Keitel) says it’ll get even worse when a catastrophic storm strikes. (VOD only)

January 21:

Miss Sherlock: Re-envisioned and set in modern day Tokyo, HBO's "Miss Sherlock" is a bold interpretation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes, where the iconic characters are played by women. (Digital only)

After Darkness
(2018) John Patrick Amedori, Valorie Curry, Natalia Dyer, Kyra Sedgwick, Tim Daly. Sci-fi thriller about a family’s fight to survive a solar disaster. As skies darken and hopes grow dim, the Beatys try to stay sane in a lavish home with every possible comfort ... except sunshine. Raymond plans to have his family transported to a secure underground bunker. But as he makes a gruesome discovery, the greatest threat to the Beatys’ survival may be near -- or inside -- their home. Formats: DVD, VOD, Digital. (Lionsgate).

The Best Friends Volumes 1 & 2
(2018) Tommy Wiseau, Greg Sestero. Starring the creators of "The Room," the cult film that inspired "The Disaster Artist," "Best Friends Volume 1" is a comedy-thriller featuring Wiseau as a mortician named Harvey and Sestero as Jon, a drifter -- two unlikely friends/business associates whose partnership is tested by creeping paranoia and issues of loyalty and trust. In "Best Friends Volume 2," the laughs and thrills continue with Harvey out of the way and Jon and his girlfriend escaping to the Arizona desert … but their quest to open a safe full of loot leads them into a gang of desperate, deadly characters, leaving Jon, fighting to survive, haunted by freakish memories of the long-lost Harvey.
Formats: Blu-ray, OD, Digital. Extras: Audio commentary with Tommy Wiseau and Greg Sestero; “Welcome to My Paradise” featurette; “Tommy and Greg: Best F(r)iends Forever” featurette; “The Tommy Diaries” featurette; eight deleted scenes. (Lionsgate).

The Bookshop
(2017) Emily Mortimer, Bill Nighy, Hunter Tremayne, Patricia Clarkson. England, 1959. Free-spirited widow Florence Green (Mortimer) risks everything to open a bookshop in a conservative East Anglian coastal town. While bringing about a surprising cultural awakening through works by Ray Bradbury and Vladimir Nabokov, she earns the polite but ruthless opposition of a local grand dame (Clarkson) and the support and affection of a reclusive book loving widower (Nighy). As Florence's obstacles amass and bear suspicious signs of a local power struggle, she is forced to ask: is there a place for a bookshop in a town that may not want one? Based on Penelope Fitzgerald's acclaimed novel.
Formats: DVD, Digital. (Universal).

Crimson Peak (Limited Edition)
(2015) From the imagination of Oscar-winning director Guillermo del Toro comes this lavish, stunningly realized journey into the dark heart of Gothic romance. Beginning in Buffalo, New York, during the 1880s, "Crimson Peak" stars Mia Wasikowska as Edith Cushing, an aspiring writer who is haunted by the death of her mother. Edith's falls in love with seductive stranger Thomas Sharpe (Tom Hiddleston), who whisks her off to Allerdale Hall, his baronial, yet dilapidated English mansion built upon a mountain of blood-red clay. Here Edith meets Lucille (Jessica Chastain), Thomas's sister who at times seems hostile and jealous. As Edith struggles to feel at home in the imposing residence, she gradually uncovers a horrendous family secret and encounters supernatural forces that will help her discover the terrible truth behind Crimson Peak. Boasting incredibly intricate and ornate production design and a rich visual style, del Toro's film is a grandiose, boldly baroque triumph of Gothic decadence, which expertly combines and contrasts the sublimely beautiful with the shockingly grotesque. Formats: Blu-ray. Extras: Audio commentary by co-writer and director Guillermo Del Toro; "The House is Alive: Constructing Crimson Peak," a newly edited, feature-length documentary with cast and crew interviews and extensive behind the scenes footage; previously unseen Spanish language interview with Guillermo Del Toro; "The Gothic Corridor," "The Scullery," "The Red Clay Mines," "The Limbo Fog Set": four featurettes exploring different aspects of Allerdale Hall; "A Primer on Gothic Romance," the director and stars talk about the key traits of Gothic romance; "The Light and Dark of Crimson Peak," the cast and crew talk about the film’s use of color; "Hand Tailored Gothic," a featurette on the film’s striking costumes; "A Living Thing," a look at the design, modelling and construction of the Allerdale Hall sets; "Beware of Crimson Peak," a walking tour around Allerdale Hall with Tom Hiddleston; "Crimson Phantoms," a featurette on the film’s amazing ghosts; "Kim Newman on Crimson Peak and the Tradition of Gothic Romance," a newly filmed interview with the author and critic; "Violence and Beauty in Guillermo Del Toro’s Gothic Fairy Tale Films," a new video essay by the writer Kat Ellinger; deleted scenes; original trailers and TV spots; double-sided, fold-out poster; four double-sided, postcard-sized lobby card reproductions; limited edition packaging newly designed by "Crimson Peak" concept artist Guy Davis; limited edition 80-page, hard-bound book featuring new writing by David Jenkins and Simon Abrams, an archival interview with Guillermo del Toro, and original conceptual design illustrations by artists Guy Davis and Oscar Chichoni. (Arrow Video/MVD Entertainment).

The Dark
(2018 -- Austria) Nadia Alexander, Toby Nichols, Karl Markovics. An undead teenage girl befriends a blind boy that she meets in a forest she haunts and hunts in. Both have been victims of unimaginable abuse, and each finds solace in the other. On the outskirts of a small town lies Devil's Den, a mysterious tract of woods where many have entered but no one has ever left. The local legend is that the spirit of a girl who was horrifically murdered there haunts this dense forest, brutally slaying anyone who dares to step into her terrain. When a young man with a dark past crosses her path, a series of events are set in motion that may lead to redemption for two tragically tortured souls. Formats: DVD. (Dark Sky Films).

8 Minutes Ahead
(2019) Theresa Wong, Tseng Chang. A successful Vancouver businessman returns home when he finds out his father is dying. Instead of making peace with him, he finds out that he has a half-brother and that his father has made a sudden change to his will. Now he must decide what he values most -- money or family and what he is willing to do, to protect his money. Formats: DVD.
(IndiCan Pictures).

The Forbidden Photos of a Lady Above Suspicion
(1970 -- Italy) Before the influence of Dario Argento's "The Bird with the Crystal Plumage" permeated every corner of the giallo genre, another strain of these distinctive Italian thrillers enjoyed considerable success. These "melodrama gialli", heavily inspired by Clouzot's "Les diaboliques," relied less on graphic violence and high body counts and more on psychological tension. Minou (Dagmar Lassander) leads a pampered but dull life with her frequently absent husband, Peter (Pier Paolo Capponi). One night, while out walking on the beachfront, Minou is accosted by a mysterious blackmailer (Simón Andreu) who informs her that Peter is a murderer. Driven by misplaced loyalty to her husband, Minou gives in to the blackmailer's every perverted whim in exchange for his silence. But as the blackmailer ups the ante, demanding that she submit to his increasingly obscene demands, can Minou hold on to what little remains of her sanity? Written by the prolific Ernesto Gastaldi ("Torso"), infused with a seductive score by the great Ennio Morricone and featuring a memorable turn by Nieves Navarro a.k.a. Susan Scott in the role of Minou's best friend, "The Forbidden Photos of a Lady Above Suspicion" is a trippy giallo delight that brings together the talents of many of the genre's leading lights on both sides of the camera. Formats: Blu-ray. Extras: New audio commentary by Kat Ellinger, author and editor-in-chief of "Diabolique Magazine"; "Private Pictures," a newly-edited documentary featuring archival interviews with actress Nieves Navarro and director Luciano Ercoli, and new interview material with writer Ernesto Gastaldi; "The Forbidden Soundtrack of the Big Three," a new appreciation of the music of "Forbidden Photos" and 70s Italian cult cinema by musician and soundtrack collector Lovely Jon; "The Forbidden Lady", a Q&A with actress Dagmar Lassander at the 2016 Festival of Fantastic Films; original Italian and English theatrical trailers; image gallery; reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Twins of Evil; FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by author and critic Michael Mackenzie. (Arrow Video/MVD Entertainment).

Garfield: 20 Stories
(2019) 20 new adventures from the classic Saturday morning animated program, “Garfield.” Fans of the furry feline will follow along on a journey of fairy tales, history lessons, crime solving and more, including a tour of a movie museum to learn about famous cats in films in "Films and Felines," and the real story of the Pied Piper, who happened to have a cat, in "The Pie-Eyed Piper." Formats: DVD. (Public Media Distribution).

Hippocrates: Diary of a French Doctor
(2014 -- France) Vincent Lacoste, Reda Kateb, A darkly comic portrait of a Paris hospital as seen through the eyes of a young intern, Benjamin, who begins his internship at the hospital ward run by his father. Confident and determined to be a success, Vincent soon realizes that the reality of practicing medicine is a lot grimmer than what he had imagined. Vincent finds himself overshadowed by a more talented intern Abdel, who is disadvantaged by his status as an immigrant. When Vincent makes a critical error, his father quickly covers it up, but Abdel is not fooled. Directed by Thomas Lilti, a former medical doctor. Formats: DVD. (Icarus Films).

Howling III BLU-RAY DEBUT
(1987) Barry Otto, William Yang, Imogen Annesley. The third entry in the popular werewolf horror franchise. The race is on as a colony of marsupial werewolves attempts to outwit and outlast their human counterparts. Long ago, the now-extinct marsupial wolf (a.k.a. Tasmanian Tiger) roamed the Australian Outback. Today, a werewolf colony that has descended from these marsupials has taken over the land. This race of human-like creatures roams the outback, feeding its need. The race for survival is on as the humans struggle to contain these out of control creatures. New digital transfer sponsored by the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia. Extras: New audio commentary with writer-director Philippe Mora, moderated by filmmaker Jamie Blanks; new "A Conversation with Philippe Mora" interview with the writer-director; vintage interviews from the documentary "Not Quite Hollywood: The Wild, Untold Story of Ozploitation!" by director Mark Hartley; theatrical trailer. (Scream Factory).

Jonathan
(2018) Ansel Elgort, Suki Waterhouse, Patricia, Matthew Bomer. In this sci-fi-tinged drama, Ansel Elgort plays two brothers living very separate lives -- inside the same body. Previously content to live life in shifts with one another -- and communicate only via daily video sessions to recount the day’s activities -- their delicate balance is ruined when they become emotionally involved with the same woman (Waterhouse). Formats: DVD, Blu-ray VOD, Digital. (Well Go USA).

The Lost Village
(2018) A devastating expose of how Greenwich Village, the epicenter of the counterculture in the 1960s and '70s, is being turned into a wasteland of chain stores, banks and multi-million dollar condos. This award-winning documentary follows filmmaker Roger Paradiso on a journey through today's Village as he tries to figure out how this "gentrification on steroids" got started. Talking to journalists, activists, shop-owners, professors and more, he uncovers how the landlords, politicians and NYU turned the Village into a place that is losing its heart and soul. Formats: DVD. Extras: Five short films: "The Best of the Roman Empire" by Anthony Gronowicz, "Mark Crispin Miller and His Battles with NYU," "Michael Hudson College Tour Guide from Hell." "Student Protest Election Night 2016," "Mandy's Story." (First Run Features).

Notorious
(1946) With this twisting love story, Alfred Hitchcock summoned darker shades of suspense and passion by casting two of Hollywood's most beloved stars starkly against type. Ingrid Bergman stars as Alicia, an alluring woman of ill repute recruited by Devlin (Cary Grant), a suave but mysterious intelligence agent, to spy for the U.S. Only after she has fallen for Devlin does she learn that her mission is to seduce a Nazi industrialist (Claude Rains) hiding out in South America. Coupling inventive cinematography with brilliantly subtle turns from his mesmerizing leads, Hitchcock orchestrates an anguished romance shot through with deception and moral ambiguity. A thriller of rare perfection, "Notorious" represents a pinnacle in both its director's legendary career and the pantheon of classic Hollywood cinema. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc with new 4K digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray. Extras: Audio commentaries from 1990 and 2001 featuring Alfred Hitchcock scholar Marian Keane and film historian Rudy Behlmer; new interview with Hitchcock biographer Donald Spoto; new program about the film's visuals with cinematographer John Bailey; new scene analysis by film scholar David Bordwell; "Once Upon a Time . . . Notorious," a 2009 documentary about the film featuring actor Isabella Rossellini, filmmakers Peter Bogdanovich, Claude Chabrol, and Stephen Frears, and others; new program about Hitchcock's storyboarding and previsualization process by filmmaker Daniel Raim; 1948 newsreel footage of actor Ingrid Bergman and Hitchcock; 1948 Lux Radio Theatre adaptation of "Notorious," starring Bergman and Joseph Cotten; trailers and teasers; an essay by critic Angelica Jade Bastién. (The Criterion Collection).

Obsession BLU-RAY DEBUT
(1976) A 10th wedding anniversary celebration ends tragically when Michael Courtland (Cliff Robertson) discovers that his wife (Geneviève Bujold) and 9-year-old daughter have been kidnapped. When an attempt to thwart the captors goes awry, Courtland's wife and daughter are never recovered. Several years later while vacationing in Florence, Courtland falls in love with a young woman who is an exact double of his dead wife. On the eve of their wedding, the woman disappears and Courtland finds a ransom note ... a duplicate of the one found several years earlier. A riveting Hitchcockian mystery thriller from Brian De Palma. Extras: New audio commentary with author Douglas Keesey ("Brian De Palma’s Split-Screen: A Life in Film"); new "Producing Obsession" interview with producer George Litto; new "Editing Obsession" interview with editor Paul Hirsh; "Obsession Revised" vintage featurette featuring interviews with director De Palma, Robertson and Bujold; theatrical trailer; radio spots; still gallery. (Scream Factory).

Oddsockeaters
(2016 -- Czech Republic) Dove-approved animated tale. Ever wonder where your missing socks go? The Oddsockeaters eat them! (though, to be fair, their mantra is "never take the full pair"). Based on the international bestselling books by Pavel Srut, "Oddsockeaters" brings home audiences into the little known world of these mischievous creatures unknown to humans. In a whimsical, heartwarming and unique adventure perfect for family viewing, Hugo is a small Oddsockeater venturing out into the big world for the first time. After moving in with his uncle "Big Boss" and his two nutty cousins, he encounters the Professor, a human determined to proving the existence of Oddsockeaters, as well as The Blades, a crosstown gang of rival sock thieves. Wild adventures ensue as Hugo learns the ropes of being an Oddsockeater as well as valuable lessons about family, love and the true meaning of loyalty. Formats: DVD, Digital. (Omnibus Entertainment).

The Old Man and the Gun
(2018) Robert Redford, Casey Affleck, Sissy Spacek, Danny Glover, Tom Waits, Tika Sumpte, Keith Carradine, Elisabeth Moss. Based on the true story of Forrest Tucker and his audacious escape from San Quentin at the age of 70 to an unprecedented string of heists that confounded authorities and enchanted the public. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray/DVD Combo, VOD, Digital. Extras: "Everything Else We Shot," "Prison Cats"," On Filmmaking," "31 Wake-Ups," "Joining the Hunt," audio commentary by writer/director David Lowery, gallery.
(Fox).

Once Upon a Deadpool
(2018) A fairy tale twist on "Deadpool 2" the whole family can enjoy, with more than 20 minutes of new footage. Formats: Blu-ray. Digital. (Fox).

The Plague of the Zombies BLU-RAY DEBUT
(1966) André Morell, Diane Clark, John Carson. In a remote 19th-century Cornish village, an evil presence lurks within the darkness of the witching hour. A mysterious plague relentlessly consumes lives at an unstoppable rate. Unable to find the cause, Dr. Peter Tompson enlists the help of his mentor, Sir James Forbes. Desperate to find an antidote, they instead find inexplicable horror: empty coffins with the diseased corpses missing! Following a series of strange and frightening clues, they discover a deserted mine where they discover a world of black magic and a doomed legion of flesh-eating slaves ... the walking dead. Extras: New audio commentary with filmmaker Constantine Nasr and author-film historian Steve Haberman; new audio commentary with author-film historian Troy Howarth; "World of Hammer -- Mummies, Werewolves & The Living Dead"; "Raising the Dead: The Making of The Plague of the Zombies"; restoration comparison; theatrical trailers; still gallery. (Scream Factory).

Room 304
(2011 -- Denmark) Mikael Birkkjær, Stine Stengade, David Dencik, Luan Jaha, Ariadna Gil, Lourdes Faberes. Startling tales of sex, betrayal and corruption unravel in a Copenhagen hotel, where nine disparate lives intersect by chance or fate. A hotel manager peers into the abyss of his empty life, leading to devastating consequences for himself, his wife and his mistress. A Spanish stewardess reaches out for intimacy and finds it in a most unexpected way. A reserved concierge is forced out of his shell by a shocking event, and an Albanian refugee gets a chance to avenge his wife, but ends up discovering something surprising instead. An Official Selection in Competition at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. Formats: DVD. (Film Movement).

Speed Kills
(2018) John Travolta, Katheryn Winnick, Jennifer Esposito, Michael Weston, Jordi Molla. Ben Aronoff (Travolta) is a speedboat racing champion and multimillionaire living the American Dream. But Ben hides a dangerous secret life: His boats are being used to move cocaine through Miami. Suddenly caught in a crossfire between DEA agents and the mob, Ben makes a desperate stand to save his family and his empire in this action-thriller based on an incredible true story. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray, VOD, Digital. (Lionsgate).

Tea With the Dames
(2018) What happens when four legends of British stage and screen get together? Dame Maggie Smith, Dame Judi Dench, Dame Eileen Atkins and Dame Joan Plowright are among the most celebrated actresses of our time, with scores of iconic performances, decades of wisdom, and innumerable Oscars, Tonys, Emmys and BAFTAs between them. They are also longtime friends who here invite you to join them for a weekend in the country as they catch up with one another, reminisce, and share their candid, delightfully irreverent thoughts on everything from art to aging to love to a life lived in the spotlight. Formats: DVD. (IFC Films).